Louisville coach Rick Pitino said two quick prayers Tuesday night - one before the Cardinals' 56-53 senior day victory over Georgia Tech and another near the end.

"Before the game, I said, 'Lord, let these two seniors (Damion Lee and Trey Lewis) go out on top,'" Pitino recalled. "The last prayer I said was, 'Please Nanu, make those free throws.'"

Both of Pitino's prayers were answered. Onuaku, using his underhanded, "granny-shot" style, made two one-and-one free throws with 30 seconds to go for a 54-49 lead, helping the Cards give Lee and Lewis a victory in their final home game.

Onuaku's unique, if not occasionally ridiculed style made him an improbable hero at the line, and Pitino credited him for working hard in changing his shot and coming through at a big moment.

"Here's a guy who was willing to make a change in his free throws, where very few players are willing to do that," the coach said. "He worked on it and swished it twice, his last two free throws at home. Both were dead middle (of the hoop). That's exciting to me as a coach, and I'm very excited for him that someone who changed his free throw could ice the game like that for us."

Onuaku said he knew the Yellow Jackets, down three, were trying to foul him as soon as he got the ball at least 20 feet from the basket.

"They fouled me on purpose because they thought I was going to miss," Onuaku said.

He made Georgia Tech pay, making two of his biggest foul shots of his season of improvement.

Last year Onuaku, using the more conventional free-throw form, shot 46.7 percent (14 of 30) at the line. This season, he's not exactly been Stephen Curry, but his progress is still considerable - up to 59.3 percent (32 of 54).

And now he's hit two clutch foul shots in the final minute to help the Cards win a game. Onuaku finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in his 11th double-double of the year. He was 3-for-3 at the foul line.

When he began reworking his foul shot last offseason, Onuaku said he didn't necessarily hope for a chance to step to the line in the last minute with the game on the line. But he did think it would probably happen at some point, and he was confident when the Yellow Jackets fouled him on Tuesday night.

"I was fine with it," Onuaku said. "I believe in myself, and my teammates believe in me. ... It was just me going to the free-throw line and knocking them down."